Gretchen McNeil - 3:59

“Um, yeah.” Jo sounded like cool wasn’t quite the adjective she’d use.

They stared blankly for a moment, each examining the other. Josie knew what Jo saw. Her dirty blond hair was a tangled mess and her face was devoid of makeup, typical Saturday fashion for someone with no place to go. Meanwhile Jo’s bright blond tresses fell on either side of her face in perfect spirals that cascaded over her shoulders, even though it was the middle of the night.

“So we’re the same person or something,” Jo blurted out. “Is that it?”

“Kind of,” Josie said. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get into a long discussion of theoretical quantum theory if she only had a minute until the portal closed.

“I don’t know why, but it scares me,” Jo said.

“Maybe because it makes absolutely no sense?”

“Yeah, I mean, look at us.” Jo spoke quickly. “Except for the hair, we could be—”

“Twins,” Josie said, finishing the thought. “Right?”

Jo didn’t answer. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the other side of the mirror. Josie turned around and followed Jo’s line of sight to a photo on her dresser. A photo of Josie and her mom.

“Is . . . is that your mom?” Jo asked.

“Yeah.” Jo seemed transfixed by the photo. “It was from a banquet at the lab where she works. Some kind of awards thing.”

Jo continued to stare. “When was it taken?”

“Last month.”

“Are you guys close?” Jo asked. “You and your mom?”

Josie shrugged. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to reveal. “We used to be. But for the last six months or so, things have been a little . . . strained.”

Jo turned her head sharply. “Six months? That’s . . . a long time.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jo reached her hand out toward the photo, pausing at the cusp of the mirror’s frame. She hesitated, then let her hand fall to her side.

Josie smiled. “It’s okay, you know. You can go through. Kinda feels like you’re swimming through a pool of Jell-O, but it only lasts a second.”

Josie’s heart raced as she watched Jo stare at the photo of her and her mom. She was secretly hoping that Jo would go through into her room and see that it wasn’t such a big deal. Maybe she’d kind of like it over there. Maybe she’d consider switching places with Josie, you know, just for a day. Maybe . . .

Her eyes involuntarily darted to Jo’s necklace. Two entwined hearts. Jo and Nick. Josie and Nick.

“That necklace,” Josie said. “Is it from your boyfriend?” Josie couldn’t help herself. She had to know if what she’d seen in the dreams was real.

Jo’s gaze slowly turned to Josie. “My boyfriend?”

“Yeah.” Josie pointed to the necklace. “Was that a gift from him?”

“Yes,” Jo said at last. “It’s from my boyfriend.”

Josie smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

Jo turned back to the mirror. “Do you want to switch places?” she blurted out.

Josie face lit up. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“Twinsies.” Jo laughed. “Tomorrow. Let’s do it tomorrow night.” She looked back into the mirror. “Well, night for me.”

“Sounds perfect.” Josie was having a hard time keeping the excitement out of her voice. “For twenty-four hours?”

Jo smiled. “Yeah, that’ll be enough.”

Yes, it would. Enough time to see Jo’s parents happy and together. And enough time to set things right with Nick.

“Deal.”

The image in the mirror began to ripple. “Shit!” Josie bolted for the portal. “Gotta go.”

“Wait.” Jo grabbed Josie’s arm as she started to duck through the mirror. “Your hair. Do you think you can dye it to match?”

Josie had never dyed her hair before, but this was one hell of a perfect opportunity to try. “Will do.”

Jo smiled. “See you tomorrow.”

11:30 A.M.

JOSIE GRABBED A HAND TOWEL OFF THE RACK and wiped a hole in the steamed-up bathroom mirror just big enough to see her reflection. Her hair was turbaned up in a blue bath towel, still hidden from view. A discarded bottle of hair dye and plastic gloves were shoved in the garbage can, next to a cardboard box that showcased flowing golden tresses that looked as much like Jo’s as Josie could remember.

Picking a color out of the bazillions of choices at CVS had been a challenge. Candle Glow or Desert Flower? Medium Ash Blond, Medium Champagne Blond, Medium Golden Blond. They all just looked blond to Josie, and in the end, she tried to pick the one that looked the most like Jo’s professionally colored and highlighted hair. Golden Sunset may have sounded like a bad chick flick, but as a hair dye, Josie hoped it would give her dirty blond hair the bright, shimmery look she was after.

It had to be right. Had to. In just a few hours she’d be going through the mirror.

Josie took a deep breath. Moment of truth.

She bent over and untwisted the towel, then whipped her head back and checked out her new look in the mirror.

Even though her hair was still wet, Josie could see the change immediately. The golden color shimmered in the harsh bathroom light. Her face seemed brighter and more alive. She ran her fingers through her hair, all soft and satiny. No mistaking it now; she was definitely a blonde.

Picking out hair dye might have been complicated, but mimicking Jo’s bouncy ’do was going to be a whole other shit show. Josie’s styling routine consisted of brushing out her wet hair before bed, then hoping that when she woke up it hadn’t dried with some bizarre cowlicks that made her look like Alfalfa’s big sister. Which it usually did—thus Josie’s wide array of headbands and ponytail holders.

Jo, on the other hand, must have spent an hour every morning doing her hair so it fell in those buoyant, lively spirals around her face. Just like Madison. Ugh. Maybe that’s what boys liked? Josie clearly hadn’t a clue.

She pulled a plastic shopping bag out of the bathroom cupboard and dumped her haul on the counter. Velcro rollers, round brush, some sort of spray gel. Did girls really do this every morning?

Twenty minutes later, Josie had managed to get most of her hair dried and twirled up in rollers. She looked a little bit like a blond geisha with huge mounds of hair piled up on her head. She did one last pass with the hair dryer, then carefully pulled the fat rollers out of her hair and ran her fingers through to loosen the curls.

Then she stood in front of the mirror and stared.

She looked exactly like Jo.

Someone gasped, and Josie turned to find her mom standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified. Like she’d seen a ghost.

“I dyed my hair,” Josie said lamely.

Her mom continued to stare.

“Um, do you like it?”

Without saying a word, Josie’s mom reached out her hand and caressed Josie’s cheek with her fingertips. Her mom had been so distant lately, since before Josie’s parents had separated, cold and closed and work obsessed. It was the first time in months Josie felt an actual sense of connection to her mom. It reminded Josie of a better time, before things had gotten so strained within their family.

Fighting back a lump in her throat, Josie reached out and hugged her mom.

Her mom sank into the embrace, and they held each other for a moment, then without warning, her mom pushed away.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Her face looked pinched as if she was in pain.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“I’m fine,” her mom repeated. Then she spun around and disappeared into her room.

Ugh.

3:59 P.M.

Josie held her breath as the mirror began to ripple.